Maria M.
✨ Newly AddedAudit Manager
Notable Highlight
Notable Highlights Over 10 years of experience in financial reporting, controllership, internal audit, and finance transformation within multinational organizations. Strong background in executive financial reporting, internal controls, compliance, forecasting, and process improvement.
Experience Summary
Finance and Controllership leader with over 10 years of experience in financial reporting, internal audit, controllership, and finance transformation within multinational and publicly traded organizations. Led financial reporting processes, strengthened internal controls, supported executive decision-making, and drove process improvements across complex, multi-entity environments. Managed audit engagements, month-end close activities, regulatory compliance, and delivered financial insights to senior leadership. Directed ERP implementations and change management initiatives while collaborating across functions on financial governance, forecasting, performance analysis, and reporting optimization. Led global teams in developing standard operating procedures and improving operational efficiency through process standardization and continuous improvement. Fluent in English and Spanish with expertise in multicultural environments and strategic finance initiatives.
Key Achievements
Significant Achievements Led finance transformation and ERP implementation initiatives that standardized financial processes, improved system adoption, and reduced post-implementation errors. Streamlined financial reporting processes by eliminating reporting delays, improving forecast accuracy, and enhancing the quality and timeliness of executive reporting. Successfully led internal and external audit engagements while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and strengthening internal control environments. Built and developed high-performing finance and audit teams through training, coaching, and process improvements that increased productivity and supported internal career advancement. Collaborated with global cross-functional teams to improve financial governance, reporting reliability, and operational efficiency across multinational organizations.
Skills
Work Experience
Internal Audit Manager
CL · Querétaro, Mexico · 2021 – Present
- Led internal and external audit engagements for US and Canadian operations, planning and coordinating the full audit cycle across multiple business units and regions, improving the accuracy and timeliness of information delivery to KPMG (Big Four) by 25% while aligning cross-functional teams to ensure precise financial documentation and audit readiness.
- Collaborated closely with Financial Reporting and Accounting teams to ensure full compliance with corporate standards and lender requirements, monitoring financial covenants across multiple lending institutions, consistently meeting all debt compliance obligations and maintaining a clean external audit record.
- Designed and delivered quarterly theoretical and hands-on training sessions for a 12-person R2R team, incorporating Q&A dynamics and knowledge assessments to foster a culture of accountability and purpose, ensuring audit findings were met with understanding and ownership rather than resistance.
- Actively participated in Workday ERP implementation while leading change management efforts, standardizing reconciliation documents, developing SOPs and workflows, and conducting hands-on training sessions for a 12-person Finance team, driving a 15% reduction in post-implementation errors and ensuring rapid system adoption across all impacted areas.
- Partnered with HR to define job profiles, smart objectives, and activity scope for Finance talent acquisition, successfully placing 3 professionals in key operational roles and achieving critical talent retention; simultaneously built and developed a 5-person internal audit team, driving a high-performance culture that resulted in 1 senior-level promotion and increasing productivity by 35%.
- Reported directly to Finance VP in Canada HQ.
Controllership Manager
For. · Querétaro, Mexico · 2021
- Delivered P&L forecasting, financial ratio analysis, and reporting package to German headquarters, eliminating a 4-day reporting delay and reducing reporting errors by 30%, enhancing leadership visibility into financial and operational performance.
- Partnered with the Production Manager to align financial and operational data, identifying and eliminating system gaps through structured cross-functional meetings that ensured all key stakeholders contributed insights, resulting in fully reconciled reporting and shared understanding of financial metrics across departments.
- Improved financial forecast accuracy from 60% to 85% by bridging the gap between financial and production data, enabling more reliable planning and stronger decision-making at the leadership level.
Accounting Coordinator
ITW · 2016 – 2020
- Oversaw the month-end close process across key accounting functions including AP, AR, treasury, payroll, accruals, FA, bank and general ledger reconciliations, delivering statutory reporting packages within a U.S. public-company environment in compliance with US GAAP and SOX-aligned control frameworks.
- Led end-to-end external audit processes in coordination with Big Four auditors, overseeing financial statement preparation and timely delivery; managed full-cycle corporate internal audits from planning through results delivery, achieving an Above Expectations rating for the first time in company history through significant improvements in documentation, internal controls, and financial reporting.
Senior Auditor
PC · 2014 – 2016
- Executed financial audits across multiple industries, supporting financial statements and internal control reviews.